Being a parent is a crazy experience, we go from being sure of what we're doing to suddenly questioning our ways... all because this tiny toddler is questioning us. I mean... it's hard to say no to her little puzzling stare when we try to get her to say "please" before giving her another bite of her favorite Gouda mac & cheese. When she's stomping through the house running back to her room because we've upset her, I think maybe it's a preview into our future and question if something we're doing has
already created a little drama llama. 🤣
One thing we do know...? We're doing the best we can... and well, she seems to be pretty dang happy most days. So while parenting has proven to occasionally be difficult, maybe we are doing the right thing with her... most of the time. Ha.
As a parent, there's one thing that's of utmost importance, at least from our point of view... and that's forming a healthy, strong bond. From the moment D came into this world we both wanted her to really
know us and trust us. From what we had read, skin-to-skin contact was a great way to instantly start to form a bond. So, Instead of having an overwhelming amount of people in her delivery room and a medical check up performed, we had her vitals checked and then asked for a few hours of bonding time. It was the sweetest few hours with her,
possibly ever. She was so tiny, so fragile, and so ready to be held and when she laid upon both of our chests, everything just felt right...and, well, there's no reason to lie about it, I think we both often feel that same sense of peace when she lays her head on our chests to this day.
With that said, often times you see mother & daughter bonding activities being discussed... from tea parties to mommy and me yoga - this bond is often encouraged and celebrated. Well, today, we want to talk about some daddy & me activities... because let's face it, D is a
total daddy's girl. So without further ado, here's the other half of We Just Knew, ready to tell y'all about how he and Delainey get some quality bonding time in.
4 ways Dads & Daughters can bond:
1. Encourage all ways of play - From playing dress up to kicking around a soccer ball, being a dad is about doing it all. Whether you have a son or daughter, I think it is important to at least sometimes encourage play outside of gender stereotypes and in non-gender specific roles such as playing chef in their little kitchens, or playing maid by pretending to vacuum the house. Being a dad to a daughter comes with having to step out of your "male" comfort zone and into a world of tea parties, princess play, make up play, and all the other girlie things you normally would be embarrassed to be caught doing. But that is fine. Of course, I'd be lying to not admit I'd prefer to be teaching her to play music or kicking around the ball all the time, but spending time playing with her and seeing her happy, no matter what the activity, fills my heart with an overflowing amount of love. If she wants tea parties, I will put my whole heart into giving her the best tea party she could imagine. Unforced, quality play time is an important part of bonding every day!
2. Story time - Bonding over a good book is one of my favorite ways to be a dad for Delainey. We started reading to her while she was in womb (a good way to get her to recognize and trust you voice) and now, at 16 months, she brings us both multiple books a day to read. Again, as with playtime, it is important not to force them to sit down and read a book. The better thing to do, and thus where the good bonding comes into action, is to try to keep their attention by using silly voices and getting them involved in the book as much as you can. I like to set Delainey on my lap so we have the same perspective of the book and she can more easily point at things on the pages she likes or wants to ask about and so she can flip the pages, pull the tabs, feel, and scratch and sniff! If the book talks about a nose, poke their nose. If a book talks about clapping, help them clap. Keep them active for the story. Not only will the bonding be stronger, but they will get more out of the book and be more involved in the learning.
3. Endless Outings - Going places and doing things together is a great way to build a special bond, whether we're going on a daddy-daughter play date or running errands, Delainey always likes to go "bye-bye." She just wants to be with someone who loves her all times of the day, what she is doing with them, really becomes second rate to just being involved. Kids want to be included and you can make all outings fun, whether it is going to the zoo, to the park down the street, or just going to the grocery store to get some shopping done. Bonding boils down to time and security. If you are there for your littles, and let them know they are always welcome, they will feel secure and thus the bond between you becomes even more powerful.
4. Daily Routines - Whenever I'm home from work, I often take on the responsibilities; from bath time to prepping meals, I take over and allow Lauren to get some work done. It helps us all out, she gets some baby-free time to make bows or write blog posts and Delainey and I get some quality time together. These moments are priceless and I wouldn't trade them for the world. From staying clean, to having fun, Delainey just loves me being with her as much as I love being with her nothing creates a greater bond than time.
On that same note, something else that comes pretty highly recommended in our house is Dove products. We've always been Dove users, from the conditioner, deodorant, and restorative hair products for Lauren to the Men's body wash from me, it's a brand we know, trust, and even use on Delainey now. She has come to really enjoy bath time because she has become obsessed with "wawa" (water), but before she loved baths, she hated them and
Baby Dove tip to toe wash helped make bath time easier on both of us and continues to do the same.
Baby Dove products not only play a part in keeping her clean, but also keeping her skin healthy! After bath, baby Dove lotion continues to play a part in our routine. She loves getting a nice leg and foot massage with Baby Dove lotion, but seriously, who wouldn't!? Little ones thrive in routines because it helps them become confident and instills a sense of security in the process, thus proving to create a greater bond between us and them.
Why do we love Dove so much...? Well, not only is the
baby Dove tip to toe wash formulated to help their skin retain moisture, but it is also tear free and hypoallergenic (which in our house means alot)! If that's not enough of a reason to love Baby Dove then
check out this coupon and fall in love even more.
So tell us, how do you embrace the bond with your kiddo?
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